Now playing

Links On The Chain

Chords

4.812 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Amajor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

[Intro]
A C D A
A C D A
[verse 1]
ACome you ranks of labor, cCome you uDnion AcoreC  A  
AAnd see if you remember the Cstruggles Dof AbeforeC  A  
When Ayou were standing F#mhelpless on the Doutside of the EdoorE7  
And you sBmtarted Ebuilding E7links on the Achain, on the F#mchain,
And you Bmstarted building ElinE7ks on the Achain.
[verse 2]
AWhen the police on the horses were Cwaitin' Don AdemandC  A  
ARidin' through the strike with a Cpistol Din theiAr handC  A  
ASwingin' at the F#mskulls of Dmany a union EmanE7  
As you Bmbuilt one more ElinE7k on the Achain, on the F#mchain,
As you Bmbuilt one more ElinE7k on the Achain.
[verse 3]
AThen the army of the fascists tried to Cput you Don the ArunC  A  
ABut the army of the union, they Cdid what Dcould be AdoneC  A  
Oh, the Apower of the F#mfactory was Dgreater than the EgunE7  
As you bBmuilt one more ElinE7k on the Achain, on the F#mchain
As you Bmbuilt one more ElinE7k on the Achain.
[verse 4]
AAnd then in 1954, deCcisions Dfinally AmadeC  A  
AOh, the black man was a-risin' fast, Cracin' Dfrom the AshadeC  A  
And your Aunion took no F#mstand and your Dunion was EbetrayedE7  
As you Bmlost yourself a ElinE7k on the Achain, on the F#mchain
As you Bmlost yourslef a ElinE7k on the Achain.
[verse 5]
AAnd then there came the boycotts and Cthen the Dfreedom AridesC  A  
AAnd forgetting what you stood for, you Ctried to Dblock the AtideC  A  
Oh, the Aautomation F#mbosses werre Dlaughin' on the EsideE7  
As they wBmatched you Elose your E7link on the Achain, on the F#mchain
As they Bmwatched you lose your ElinE7k on the Achain.
[verse 6]
AYou know when they block your trucks boys, by Clayin' Don the AroaCdA  
AAll that they are doin' is Call that Dyou have AshoCweAd
That you Agotta strike, you F#mgotta fight to Dget what you are EoweE7d
When you're Bmbuilding all your ElinkE7s on the Achain, on the F#mchain
When you're Bmbuilding all your ElinkE7s on the Achain..
[verse 7]
AAmd the man who tries to tell you that they'll Ctake your Djob awAayC  A  
AHe's the same man who was scabbin' hard Cjust the Dother AdayC  A  
And your F#munion's not a union till he's tDhrown out of the Eway
And he's cBmhokin' on your ElinkE7s of the Achain, of the F#mchain
And he's Bmchokin' on your ElinE7ks of the Achain.
[verse 8]
AFor now the times are tellin' you the Ctimes are Drollin' AonC  A  
AAnd you're fighting for the same thing, the Cjobs that Dwill be AgoneC  A  
Now it's Aonly fair to F#mask you boys, Dwhich side are you Eon?E7  
As you're Bmbuildin' all your ElinkE7s on the Achain, on the F#mchain
As you're Bmbuildin' all your ElinkE7s on the Achain.D  A  

All chords in this song (7)

🎸 Tips from players

Got a tip for playing this song — capo position, easier chords, strumming? Be the first to share one.

Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

Links On The Chain

by Phil Ochs

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

[Intro]

A C D A

[verse 1]

A C D A C A

Come you ranks of labor, come you union core

A C D A C A

And see if you remember the struggles of before

A F#m D E E7

When you were standing helpless on the outside of the door

Bm E E7 A F#m

And you started building links on the chain, on the chain,

Bm E E7 A

And you started building links on the chain.

[verse 2]

A C D A C A

When the police on the horses were waitin' on demand

A C D A C A

Ridin' through the strike with a pistol in their hand

A F#m D E E7

Swingin' at the skulls of many a union man

Bm E E7 A F#m

As you built one more link on the chain, on the chain,

Bm E E7 A

As you built one more link on the chain.

[verse 3]

A C D A C A

Then the army of the fascists tried to put you on the run

A C D A C A

But the army of the union, they did what could be done

A F#m D E E7

Oh, the power of the factory was greater than the gun

Bm E E7 A F#m

As you built one more link on the chain, on the chain

Bm E E7 A

As you built one more link on the chain.

[verse 4]

A C D A C A

And then in 1954, decisions finally made

A C D A C A

Oh, the black man was a-risin' fast, racin' from the shade

A F#m D E E7

And your union took no stand and your union was betrayed

Bm E E7 A F#m

As you lost yourself a link on the chain, on the chain

Bm E E7 A

As you lost yourslef a link on the chain.

[verse 5]

A C D A C A

And then there came the boycotts and then the freedom rides

A C D A C A

And forgetting what you stood for, you tried to block the tide

A F#m D E E7

Oh, the automation bosses werre laughin' on the side

Bm E E7 A F#m

As they watched you lose your link on the chain, on the chain

Bm E E7 A

As they watched you lose your link on the chain.

[verse 6]

A C D A C A

You know when they block your trucks boys, by layin' on the road

A C D A C A

All that they are doin' is all that you have showed

A F#m D E E7

That you gotta strike, you gotta fight to get what you are owed

Bm E E7 A F#m

When you're building all your links on the chain, on the chain

Bm E E7 A

When you're building all your links on the chain..

[verse 7]

A C D A C A

Amd the man who tries to tell you that they'll take your job away

A C D A C A

He's the same man who was scabbin' hard just the other day

F#m D E

And your union's not a union till he's thrown out of the way

Bm E E7 A F#m

And he's chokin' on your links of the chain, of the chain

Bm E E7 A

And he's chokin' on your links of the chain.

[verse 8]

A C D A C A

For now the times are tellin' you the times are rollin' on

A C D A C A

And you're fighting for the same thing, the jobs that will be gone

A F#m D E E7

Now it's only fair to ask you boys, which side are you on?

Bm E E7 A F#m

As you're buildin' all your links on the chain, on the chain

Bm E E7 A D A

As you're buildin' all your links on the chain.

About Links On The Chain Chords by Phil Ochs

Learn how to play Links On The Chain by Phil Ochs with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Links On The Chain chords”, “Links On The Chain guitar chords”, or “Phil Ochs Links On The Chain chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Links On The Chain chords and for experienced players who want accurate Links On The Chain lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, C, D, F#m, E, E7.

FAQ — Links On The Chain by Phil Ochs

How do I play "Links On The Chain" by Phil Ochs on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Links On The Chain" by Phil Ochs on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Links On The Chain" by Phil Ochs free?

Yes. The chords for "Links On The Chain" by Phil Ochs are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Links On The Chain" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Links On The Chain" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Links On The Chain"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Links On The Chain" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Links On The Chain" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Links On The Chain" by Phil Ochs with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Phil Ochs below.

What key is "Links On The Chain" in?

The chords for "Links On The Chain" show the original chord names (including A, C, D, F#m, E, E7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.